The Marauders and the King
by SassetteSmurf
Summary: When James and Sirius begin Hogwarts, it is quickly obvious that their seven years will be eventful. Pranks, laughs, and insanity suddenly become the Gryffindor trademark. But when a mysterious something starts attacking the students, chaos ensues. Somebody has to do something, and the teachers are too busy reassuring students, so the Marauders take things into their own hands.


**Chapter 1: The Letters**

The young boy sat on the bench, staring up into the moonless sky. The stars seemed brighter without it there. Absentmindedly, he traced the ridges in his shoulder, where _it_ had happened. Looking up again, he sighed. If only he could freeze the sky the way it was now. Then his life would be normal. Then he would be able to have friends, and be happy, and go to school, and enjoy himself.

"Remus, honey, it's time to come in!" The boy turned and looked towards the source of the voice. A kind looking woman stood there, her waist-length brown hair streaked with gray and her forehead creased with permanent worry lines.

"I'm coming, Mum. Just a sec." Remus turned back to the sky, making the same wish he made every new moon. _Never come back. Please don't make me go through it again._ It never worked. With another sigh, he turned and went inside.

The next morning, Remus was met by a strange sight when he entered the kitchen. Instead of staring at _The Daily Prophet,_ as usual, his father was staring at a letter, a look of extreme shock etched upon his face. "What is it, Dad?" Usually nothing could pull his father from the paper.

John Lupin lifted his eyes from the paper. "It's Hogwarts, son. They know what you are, but they want you anyway. You're going to school." Remus couldn't believe his ears, and yanked the letter from his father's grasp.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

_of_

WITCHCRAFT _and _WIZARDY

It was real. Remus grinned. He couldn't wait.

* * *

While Remus Lupin was receiving the greatest surprise of his life, an indignant James Potter was throwing a hissy fit rivaling the best thrown by any eleven year old. "But I want to bring my own broom! How am I supposed to make the house team if I have to use the school brooms? They suck! I want my own!" He accompanied his yelling with well placed stomps and wild hand gestures.

James's parents looked at each other exasperatedly. Mr. Potter decided to try first. "James, there has never been a first year on the house teams. Ever. Quidditch is for the older kids. Use this year to make friends and get used to the school. There will be enough time to play Quidditch later." Mr. Potter kept his voice firm, yet gentle.

"But… but I want to be on the team this year." His voice was quieter than James intended. Inwardly, he sighed. Dad was right. He would have to wait. Then a gigantic grin filled his face, and he exclaimed, "I'll just have to fill all of my extra time with something else. Something… interesting." His parents again exchanged looks. James could be inventive.

"Just don't get yourself expelled, okay? If you want to serve a thousand detentions, it's your choice." Mrs. Potter didn't even try to fight her son's wild tendencies. She gave that up years ago. With a wild grin which left both his parents shaking in their shoes, James ran upstairs.

"I have permission! I have permission to break the rules!" He whooped as he slammed the door to his room.

* * *

Sirius Black sat at his dining room table, doing everything he could to ignore his parents without actually looking like he was ignoring them. They didn't notice his lack of interest in what they said. He didn't hear any of it, until the very end. "Remember, no associating with mudbloods. Stick with your own kind. Toujours Pur. Always pure. Remember it. We are very sure you will make a wonderful Slytherin. Make us proud, son." Sirius wanted to deck something. Blood purity, Slytherin honor, and anti muggleborn actions were all they ever thought of. That and riches. It made him sick. Then a wonderful thought occurred to him. Slytherin honor? Wouldn't they love it if their eldest son weren't in Slytherin. Any house but Slytherin, though preferably not Hufflepuff. He didn't want to be a puffy. Ravenclaw would never work. He just didn't want to study. Sirius Black is far to rebellious to care about schoolwork. That left Gryffindor. The house of the noble, courageous, and brave. Sirius grinned. He would love to be a Gryffindor.

"Of course Mum, Dad. I will try my best to be sorted into the right house." Sirius didn't see the point of mentioning that his idea of the right house would be Gryffindor. No sense in ruining the surprise.

* * *

Little rat faced Peter Pettigrew hid behind the couch. He could hear his father raging, drunk on firewhiskey yet again. "Come out, you lazy, good for nothing sack of hippogriff droppings! I know you're there somewhere! I'll teach you to go and apply to another school! If you ain't good enough for Durmstrang, you ain't good enough for magic! I'll teach you to go to Hogwarts!" Peter looked at the letter in his hand and smiled. Sure, it wasn't Durmstrang, but they had rejected him. Sure he wouldn't have his brothers, but he would find other friends. At least he would get an education.

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Black looked imperiously down at their small son. "Bring the Blacks back to Hogwarts in style. Don't let them forget us. Bring glory to the name of Salazar Slytherin. We know you will not disappoint." Their gaze sent shivers down Sirius's spine. What would they do when her became a Gryffindor? A small voice in the back of his head whispered _What if you are in Slytherin? What will you do then? _Shoving the thought away as best as he could, Sirius boarded the train. He didn't even say goodbye to his family. Blacks did not show emotion in public.

Sirius didn't want to be a blood purist. He didn't want to support Voldemort, and he didn't want to kill the Muggles. To him, it was obvious that only ruin for the wizarding world could come from such beliefs. He wanted to be different, special, a unique Black. He would start by becoming a Gryffindor. He had to be.

* * *

James edged away from his mother. "Of course I'll write. Lots." He smiled, taking another step towards the train. His father saw. With a knowing smile, Mr. Potter took his wife's hand.

"Let him go, dear. He'll miss the train if he doesn't board soon." With a sad, yet proud, look at her eleven year old son, Mrs. Potter nudged James forward. He leapt aboard just as the clock struck eleven. Waving, he watched his parents and the station disappear into the distance.

Turning, James found himself face to face with another boy of similar age. His dark hair fell into his eyes, and accented his aristocratic nose. With a quick decision to start making friends now, at the earliest opportunity, James spoke, "Are you a first year, too?" For a second, he didn't think the boy would answer.

* * *

Sirius didn't know what to do. This boy was talking to him. Nobody had ever just come up and talked to him before. Then again, his parents weren't the most inviting people. Finally, Sirius decided to at least try to be nice. Gryffindors were nice people, right? "Yeah." He didn't know what else to say. Thankfully the other boy didn't seem to mind.

"I'm James Potter. I'm so excited to be starting Hogwarts. I've only been looking forward to this day for my whole life. My parents were both Gryffindors..." James didn't stop talking the whole time the two of them looked for a compartment. Finally, they found one. It was empty except for one boy and one girl, The girl staring silently out the window, the boy sleeping. Sirius and James stuck their heads in. "Mind if we sit here? All of the other compartments are full." The sleeping answered with a snore, while the girl inclined her head towards the seat. Without a word, she turned back to the window. Sirius and James took that as an okay, and in seconds had their trunks stowed.

The next few hours passed enjoyably. The sleeping boy woke up, and they discovered that his name was Remus. The girly never stopped looking out of the window, and ignored them completely. They talked about Quidditch, and their favorite teams. From there they went on to what they wanted to do at Hogwarts. James was beside himself when he told them about his parents, "They gave me permission! I have permission from my parents to do whatever I want, provided I don't get expelled! I'll never get a howler for breaking the rules! Never!" James fell out of his seat, he bounced so much while saying this. He and Sirius grinned at eachother. Remus just looked worried, if slightly amused. The three talked for a while longer, and finally the trolley arrived. Sirius and James both bought as many chocolate frogs and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans as they could hold, and then proceeded to share them with Remus. The girl at the window was forgotten.

The sky started to get darker. The boys, happily munching on frogs, changed into their robes. They were sitting and actually being silent for once, each lost in their own thoughts, when a boy of their age stuck his head in the compartment. All three boys looked at him in surprise, but the girl at the window frowned. He sat down across from her, and she spoke for the first time all train ride. "I don't want to talk to you." She sounded like she was going to cry. She turned away from the window, and the whole compartment saw she _had_ been crying. She was so quiet, none of the boys had noticed.

The boy spoke. "Why not?"

"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."Her voice cracked and a quiet sob escaped.

"So what?"

With a look that clearly asked how stupid he could possibly get, she answered, "So she's my sister!"

"She's only a-" The boy stopped, clearly rethinking what he was about to say. With barely concealed excitement, he changed the subject. "But we're going! This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!" This won a small smile from the girl. "You'd better be in Slytherin."

James, whose head had been in the clouds, heard this comment and had to interrupt. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" James spoke to Sirius, not the two by the windows, but the comment was clearly intended to be heard by them. Sirius's answer threw him for a loop.

"My whole family's been in Slytherin." Sirius said this with an almost tangible air of melancholy.

"Blimey, and I thought you seemed alright!"

"Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart. Like my dad." The boy at the window sighed and rolled is eyes. James turned on him. "Got a problem with that?"

"No," Though it was obvious he did. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy-" Sirius interrupted.

"Where are you going to go, seeing as you're neither?" James laughed with his friend.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment." The two left.

"Oooooo. . ." James and Sirius imitated her lofty voice. As they left, Sirius called, "See you later, Snivellus!" The two erupted into laughter as the door closed. Remus looked on, obviously disapproving.

"That wasn't very nice, guys." James and Sirius both stopped laughing to stare at him.

"So? It was bloody hilarious!" Sirius spoke first.

"Yeah, and he's a little snake! Sorry, mate, forgot." James apologized to Sirius, who just laughed.

"Don't worry about it. Right about now, I think I'd rather be a Hufflepuff than a Slytherin." Sirius said no more.

In no time at all, the train reached Hogsmeade station,and the students poured out of the scarlet cars. Sirius, Jame and Remus were trying to figure out where to go when they ear a voice calling "Firs' years over here! Firs' years over here!" They followed it to a gigantic man, who held a lantern over the heads of the gathering students. When all of the first years had congregated around him, he led them in a straggling line to a small dock, with many small boats tied to it. "Get in, Get in, four to a boat please! No pushing or shoving!" James and Sirius pulled Remus over to a boat with a single boy in it. He had the face of a rat, and seemed scared of his own shadow. When everyone was aboard, the boats began to float across the water.

Slowly the castle emerged out of the mist. Everybody gasped when they saw it. It was magnificent.


End file.
